Horse-rake



UNITED STATES t PATENT OEEICEo GEURGE H. SMITH, 0F WEBSTER, WEST VIRGINIA.

HORSE-RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,885, dated March 23, 1880.

Application filed January 20, 1880.

n all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SMITH, of Webster, in the county of Taylor and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse Hay-Rakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a perspective View of my improved horse-rake, and Fig. 2 a detail of part thereof.

My invention has for its object the more perfect gathering or raking of hay from hol lows or depressions in the surface of the ground; and to this end it consists in the construction and arrangement of the support-ingbars of the rake-teeth and their accompanying devices, vwhereby said bars may be rendered iiexible or inilexible by the operator, as the necessities of the ease may require, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully 'set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, l will now proceed to describe its construction and operation. V

A represents the axle, mounted upon wheels B B, and provided With shafts D and drivers seat E.

Mounted upon and secured to the axle A, by supports c e, is a metal rod or bar, F, of suitable strength, on which are sections of pipe d d, forming sleeves, which may be tightened by means ofthe nuts j' j" at either end of the rod.

From the axle A to the cross-piece 7L of the shafts, alongside of the seat-support, extends a slotted bar, g.

The teeth a et are supported in slots in the supporting-bars G G, Which are pivoted or hinged to the bar or rod F by means of arms m m, the outer ends of these arms being secured in the bars GG, While their inner endsencircle the rod F, admitting cf an upwardand-downward motion.

On top of the .supporting-bars G G are auxiliary bars H H, secured thereon by means of screws, bolts, or any suitable means, and joined together by means of a strap-hinge, K, in such manner as will admit of their being depressed in the center. The pivot of the hinge K is turned up at one side of the bars at right angles to form a short lever, m', which is provided with a series of holes near its upper end. This lever is connected, by a rod, n, with the short arm of an L-shaped hand-lever, I, fulcrumed in the slotted brace g, within` convenient reach of the driver for dumping the rake.

The supporting-bars Gr Gare rendered rigid by means of a lever, Mwhich extends dow11- Ward through slots in the auxiliary and supporting bars, and is then bent at right angles to form a long arm, which extends across or bridges the two supporting-bars on their under side, and is secured at its outer end by means of a screw or any other device which will admit of the lever having a limited motion up and down. The handle of this lever is provided with a notch, which engages with a suitable projection on the supporting-bars, and holds the lever up against them to render them rigid.

The teeth a a have their inner ends encircling the rod F between the sleeves d d, and pass through slots in the supporting bars. These slots are provided with spiral springs above the teeth, which hold them down, and at the same time allow them a slight vertical play. The rake is also provided with the usual 'clearing-teeth projecting rearward from the axle A.

The operation of my rake is as follows: If

the surface of the ground is level the lever M is raised until the notch in its side engages with the projection on the supporting-bars, and the said bars are rendered rigid. The operator then drives over the eld, and at the proper time, by means of the lever I, rod u, short lever m', and strap-hinge K, raises the teeth and dumps the hay they have gathered in rows in the usual manner.

If,however, the surface of the ground is uneven or broken by gullies, the lever M is disengaged by being sprung aside, and the center of the supporting-bars allowed to fall, and the operator then proceeds as before. By this means all the hay will be gathered from depressions and the work performed much more effeotually than heretofore.

IOO

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claini as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a hay-rake, the divided bars G G,

5 hinged or pivoted together, in combinationl with suitable devices whereby the rakehead may be made rigid or flexible vby the driver while in his seat, substantially as set forth.

2. rIhe combination, in a hay-rake, of teeth 1o a a, flexible supporting-bars G Gr, and lever M, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A haya-alie consisting, essentially, of the flexible supporting-bars G G, teeth a o, lever M, rod F, dumping-lever I, with its connec- 15 tions, and axle A, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as iny own I affix my signature in presence of 2o two witnesses.

Gr. H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

M. H. DENT, W. It. D. DENT. 

